I think for basketball a players true potential is defined after 3 or more seasons in the league.
Potential should be hidden for a player until year 3 of that draftee.
Hears how I see it.
We scout players for individual attributes throughout the season. If your a lottery pick you are looking too unlock the overall's of at least 3 go to guys these could vary even for top 5 picks. Making drafting instantly dynamic.
1.) 70ovr
2.) 72ovr
3.)77ovr
4.)81ovr
5.)82ovr
Could you imagine after the draft a team does not draft the best overall player until the 12th pick or so never in 2k does this happen. If your a non lottery pick you can still work for actual overalls but its best to try and go for unlocking attributes of what individual players are best at.
From draft day on forward the potential of a player from F to A that will appear in year 3 IS ALL BASED ON MINUTES AND STATS.
This is how I feel a basketball game can best mimic the dynamic explosions and flops of drafted players IRL.
Steph Curry, John Wall, Kyrie Irving and D. Rose have all improved that stats year in and year out which reflects in their abilities on the court. We pretty much new after a couple of seasons what each player was capable of improving on moving forward based on individual stats.